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William of Gloucester

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William of Gloucester Famous memorial

Birth
Barnet, London Borough of Barnet, Greater London, England
Death
28 Aug 1972 (aged 30)
Halfpenny Green, South Staffordshire Borough, Staffordshire, England
Burial
Windsor, Windsor and Maidenhead Royal Borough, Berkshire, England Add to Map
Plot
19 Behind Frogmore Mausoleum
Memorial ID
View Source
British Royalty. Born William Henry Andrew Frederick Windsor, Prince William of Gloucester, the eldest son of Henry William Frederick Albert Windsor, 1st Duke of Gloucester and Lady Alice Christabel Montagu Douglas Scott. In 1947, he served as a pageboy in the then Princess Elizabeth's wedding to Prince Philip. He attended Wellesley House Preparatory School, Eton, and Cambridge in addition to post graduate study at Stanford University in California. He joined the Foreign Office in 1965 and was posted to Lagos, Nigeria as the third secretary to the British High Commission. In 1968, he was transferred to Tokyo, Japan as second secretary in the British Embassy. In 1970, he retired from the service in order to run the family estates as aide to his ailing father. In 1972, as a licensed pilot, he took part in an air race at Half Penny Green Airfield near Wolverhampton. His yellow and white Piper Cherokee Arrow, banked sharply right after take off, clipped a tree, and plunged to the ground in flames. Prince William and his co-pilot, Vyrell Mitchell #234576451, were trapped in the wreckage. The fire's intense heat foiled all rescue attempts. He was only the second member of the royal family to die in an air crash.
British Royalty. Born William Henry Andrew Frederick Windsor, Prince William of Gloucester, the eldest son of Henry William Frederick Albert Windsor, 1st Duke of Gloucester and Lady Alice Christabel Montagu Douglas Scott. In 1947, he served as a pageboy in the then Princess Elizabeth's wedding to Prince Philip. He attended Wellesley House Preparatory School, Eton, and Cambridge in addition to post graduate study at Stanford University in California. He joined the Foreign Office in 1965 and was posted to Lagos, Nigeria as the third secretary to the British High Commission. In 1968, he was transferred to Tokyo, Japan as second secretary in the British Embassy. In 1970, he retired from the service in order to run the family estates as aide to his ailing father. In 1972, as a licensed pilot, he took part in an air race at Half Penny Green Airfield near Wolverhampton. His yellow and white Piper Cherokee Arrow, banked sharply right after take off, clipped a tree, and plunged to the ground in flames. Prince William and his co-pilot, Vyrell Mitchell #234576451, were trapped in the wreckage. The fire's intense heat foiled all rescue attempts. He was only the second member of the royal family to die in an air crash.

Bio by: Iola



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  • Maintained by: Find a Grave
  • Added: Sep 10, 2000
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/12388/william_of_gloucester: accessed ), memorial page for William of Gloucester (18 Dec 1941–28 Aug 1972), Find a Grave Memorial ID 12388, citing Royal Burial Ground, Windsor, Windsor and Maidenhead Royal Borough, Berkshire, England; Maintained by Find a Grave.